Signal-lantern.



PATENTED MAR. 1711.903.

2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

QBLAGK. I SIGNAL LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC 27, 1902 N0 MODEL PATENTED MAR.17,- 1903.

AAE

LP N I0 MODEL.

UNITE STATES PATENT FFIcE.

ROBERT BLACK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE DRESSEL RAIL WAY LAMP WORKS,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIG NAL-LANTERN.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,127, dated March 17, 1903. Application filed Deeember.2'7, 1902. Serial No. 126,784. (No modelJ To wZZ whom it mag/"concern:

Be it known thatI, RQBERTBLACK, a citizen of the United States,.residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented'an Improvementin S ignal-Lanterns, of which the following is a specification. a

My invention relates to varicolored railway signallanterns,..such as are employed at '10 switches, semaphores, and upon the tops of cars or cabooses; and the object of my; invention is to be able to change the colors at will from the outside of the lantern and without opening the same or removing the top and at the same time to lock the parts in position against accidental movement or displacement. I support the frame carrying the varicolored glasses inside the lantern-body upon a vertical rod suitably journaled and provide a device connectedto'said rod and progressively rotated in a horizontal plane by a device passing'through the top of the lantern to which a movement is imparted and intervening coacting devices for regulatingv the extent of said movement and looking or securing thejparts in position against accidental movement or displacemenhallof which are hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sec- 0 tion and partial elevation representing a form of my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional plan on the line as a: of Fig.1. the operating devices in the lantern-top a part of the top being removed. Fig. 4 ;is an elevation edgewise of the parts shown in Fig; '3. Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views representing other forms of my invention. "Fig. .7 is a vertical cross-section of the parts shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section and eleo vation of thepartsshown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is a vertical "section at one side on the line y y of Fig. 5. Figs.,5 to. 9, inclusive, are of exaggerated sizefor clearness.

construction andadaptedto receive the font I), having a burner 12.

The lantern-top 0. may be secured to the lantern-body or connected by a hinge-joint, so as to open; but these devices form no necessary partof my present invention.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, 0 represents the oil- Fig. 3 is a plan of frame in which the varicolored glasses 2, 3,

4, and 5 are secured. This frame is in sec-' connected to a vertical rod (1 and at its ends ,to the said frame 0, carrying the varicolored glasses.

Across the top oflthe lantern-body and across within the lantern-top are bridge-plates e e, centrally perforated to form bearings for the vertical rod 01, which passes through the same. I prefer tosecure to the bridge-plate e" a sleeve, which at the central portion forms an appreciable bearing-surface for the said vertical rod. At the upper end of the vertical rod d I provide a circular plate 01' in a horizontal plane and securedtheretmand projecting from the upper; surface thereof are vertical studs 6 at equal spaced-apart intervals. p

A slide-bar f is provided, resting in part upon the bridge-plate e, at one end extending through thelantern-top and provided with a slot and at the other end formed as a hook extending over upon the surface of the circularplate d. Aspring 7 is at one end secured to the lantern-top and; at the other end to the hook of the slide-bar f, and a lever gis provided, pivoted at 8 to a bracket upon the outer surface of the lantern-top and having an upturned hook portion outside of the lantern-top, but passing through the slot in and adjacent to the free end of the slide-bar f.

I provide a spring-plate h, secured at one 8 end to the bridge-plate e andrising therefrom and extending over the surface of the circular plate d and in its free end having an aperture adapted to fit over and receive one of the studs 6 of the plate 61. I have shown 0 eight of the studs 6, and in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3 it will be noticed that by the movement of the lever g the slide- V g t I barfis drawn along against the contractile The lantern-bod aisof usual or well-known action of the spring .7, and in this movement 5 the hook end of said bar 7 engages one of the studs 6 and imparts a turning movement to the plate d and the vertical rod d connected therewith. By reference to Figs. .3 and 4: it will be noticed that this movement causes one of the studs to underrun a bent portion of the spring-plate h and that this action causes said plate to be elevated, thus freeing the stud held by the aperture in the end of said springplate. Each movement of the parts is equal to one-eighth of a revolution. Consequently the various studs 6 are brought progressively into engagement with the aperture in the free end of the spring-plate h. The longitudinal movement of the slide-barf effects this progressive turning movement of the plate cZ, straining the spring 7, and when released by removing the hand from the lever g the spring 7 returns the parts to a normal position, and in this movement the hook end of the slidebarfrides over the studs that intervene, resting behind the next adjacent stud to complete the movement. I prefer in this connection to incline the advancing corners of each stud. This facilitates the hook end of the slide-bar f riding over the studs and the studs underrunning the spring-plate h, and in view of the construction and location of the parts the hook end of the slide-barf and the aperture in the free end of the spring-plate it will at all times act upon the side of the studs 6 that is not cut away.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 5, 7, and 9, 1 represents a frame extending across the lantern-top and secured therein and thereto in any desired manner. This frame is provided with a vertical hub or journal 1 in which the vertical and central rod of the lantern carrying the frame for the varicolored glasses is adapted to rotate. 7c represents a bevel-wheel mounted upon the upper end of the rod d, and 9 are edge notches made in the periphery of said wheel Zc'and preferably agreeing in location with the number of colored glasses supported by the frame 0. I provide a spring-plate 10 within the lanterntop and secured at one end to the top by a rivet or other suitable device, and this plate is pointed at its free end and adapted to engage the edge notches 9.

I provide a shaft 11, passing through the lantern-top a and into a portion of the frame On the outer end of this shaft isa fingerwheel12, by which the same may be rotated, and mounted upon said shaft is a bevel-pinion is, meshing with the bevel-wheel 7c, the teeth of the wheel 76 being upon the under surface. I provide also a guide-plate 13, secured to the frame 7; in line with and above the shaft 11 and having a portion extending over the periphery. of the bevel-wheel for the purpose of not onlygniding the said Wheel, but keeping the teeth thereof down and in engagement with the teeth of the bevel-pinion la. The notches 9 in the edge of the bevel-wheel 70 agree, preferably, in location with the number of varicolored glasses, and it is only necessary to rotate the finger-wheel 12 in one direction or the other to turn the shaft 11 and pinion 7c, and from these rotate the bevel-wheel 7.: and the shaft d,connectedthereto, and by these devices to turn the frame a, carrying the varicolored glasses, around in its relation to the lens of the lantern through which the light shines.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 6 and 8 I connect to the upper end of the vertical rod d a ratchet Z. This is located below the bridge-plate 6 which forms one bearing for the vertical shaft cZ. Below the ratchetZ is located a plate m, centered upon the shaft and held in position by a nut on the shaft belowthe said plate. misa spring-pawl 14, and pivotally connected with the other end of said plate at is a rod n. This rod n at its free end passes through the lantern-top, and a helical spring is coiled about this rod, one end being advantageously secured to said rod 71. and the other end bearing against the lantern-top, and a spring 15, secured to this bridge-plate 6 projects and engages the ratchet Z. In the operation of this structure the finger-head n of this rod is engaged and the rod pulled outward from the case against the action of the helical spring 16. This movement swings the plate m and turns with it, through the intervention of the pawl 14, the ratchet Z, and the vertical rod d, one tooth at a time, the spring 15 meanwhile passing over the surface of a tooth and down back of the same and bearing frictionally upon the ratchet to prevent an accidental or return movement thereof. When this rod n is released by the hand, the spring 16 acts expansively to draw into the lantern-top the rod n and swing the plate m in the reverse direction, thereby bringing the spring-pawl into engagement with another tooth preparatory to repeating the operations.

It will be noticed thatin all of these devices there are means for rotating the frame carrying the varicolored glasses by a step-by-step movement, that the devices at the end of each movement are held in a substantially locked position against accidental movement or displacement, that each movement can be only one-eighth of a full rotation, and that this movement shifts the glasses so that one is brought exactlyinto theline between the lens and the lamp. It is therefore not possible by any movement to get the glasses actually out of position with reference to the light and the lens. It will also be noticed that for the purpose intended these forms of invention are the equivalents of one another and that they are all equally adapted for performing the desired functions in this structure.

I claim as my invention-.-

1. In a railway signal-lantern, the combination with a frame carrying a number of varicolored glasses, a central vertical rod passing up within the lantern and a frame connecting the said rod and the aforesaid frame, of bridge-plates extending across the upper part of the lantern-body and across the lantern-top and forming journaled bearings for said vertical rod, a device connected to the upper end of said rod and above the'upper bridge-plate and occupying a horizontal posi- Upon one end of the platetion, a manually-operated device extending through the lantern-top and partlywithin and partly outside of the same to be engaged outside of the lantern-top and Within the same engaging the device occupying a horizontal plane for rotating the said latter device by a step-by-step movement, and a spring device for engaging the device in a horizontal plane with each movement and for holding the same between the respective movements,substantially asset forth.

2. In a railway signal-lantern, the combi bridge-plates extending across the upper part of thelantern-body and across the lantern'top and forming journaled bearings for saidvertical rod, a bevel-wheel secured upon the upper end of the vertical rod and occupying a horizontal plane, a bevel-pinion engaging the teeth of the bevel-wheel, a shaft therefor within the lantern-top and projectingthrough the same, a finger-wheel on the outer end of said rod by the rotation of which thebevel-pinion and bevel-Wheel are turned, I and a device engaging said parts for arresting and holding the same at predetermined points, substantially as set forth. 3. In a railway signal-lantern, the combination with a frame carryinga number of varicolored glasses, a central vertical rod passing up within the lantern, and a frame connecting the said rod and the aforesaid frame, of bridgeplates extending across the upper part of the lantern-body and across the lantern-top and forming journaled bearings for said vertical rod, abevel-wheel mounted upon the upper end of saidvertical rod, occupying a horizontal plane andhaving edge notches ateqnal spaced-apart intervals, a spring plate secured to the lantern-top and having a beveled end engaging the aforesaid notches, a bevel pinion engaging the teeth of the bevel-wheel, a shaft therefor partly within the lantern-,top and partly extending outside, and a finger-wheel upon the outer end of said shaft by the rotation of which the bevel-pinion is rotated and a step-by-step movement is imparted to the bevel-Wheel, the vertical shaft and the frame carrying the varicolored glasses.

' 4. In a railway signal-lantern, the combi nation with a frame carrying a number of varicolored glasses, a central vertical rod passing up within the lantern, and a frame connecting the said rod and the aforesaid frame, of bridge-plates extending across the upper part of the lantern-body and across the lantern-top and forming journaled bearings for said vertical rod, abevel-wheelmounted upon the upper end of said vertical rod, occupying a horizontal plane and having edge notches at equal spacedapart intervals, a springplate secured to the lantern-top and having a beveled end engaging the aforesaid notches,

a bevel-pinion engaging the teeth of the bevel-wheel, a shaft therefor partly within the lantern-top and partly extending outside, and a finger-Wheel upon the outer end of said shaft by the rotation of which the bevel-pinion is rotated and a step-by-step movement is imparted to the bevel-wheel, the vertical shaft and the frame carrying the varicolored glasses, and a guideplate secured to the upper frame or plate axially in line with the shaft of the bevel-pinion for insuring contact of the teeth of the bevel-pinion and bevel- Wheel.

Signed by me this 24th day of December, 1902.

ROBT. BLACK. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

